Bell.



D. G. HORNER.

BELL.

APPLICATION FILED 111111. 1, 1911.

Patented Julyv 2, 1912.

2 QHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co., WASHINGTON, 171 c.

TNITED liAElENT OFFICE;

DAVID CHAPMAN HORNEB, OF 'ST. JTO'HNSBURY, VERMONT.

BELL.

Specification of LettersiPatent.

Patented July 2,1912.

Application filed June 1, 1911. Serial No. 630,699.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it .knownthat I, Davm'G. Honnnn, a.

citizen .of the United States, residing at St.

J ohnsbnry, in the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bells; and I do declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains .to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,.and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates "to improvements in bells, more especially the gong-type, and is designed for special use, as in the assembling place of a fraternal "body, for indicating or producing a given number of separate sounds or strikes.

The invention has for its object to pro vide a device for sounding a bell a predetermined number of times, the mechanism 'ofwhioh is practically noiseless.

toca-rry out the aforesaid ends inla simple,

inexpensive and effective manner.

The invention consists of certain instrumentalities and features substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed and defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of myinvention, wherein various changes may be [made as relates to details of the construction and arrangement of the .parts without departing from "the spiritof the invention Figure 1 1s a view in front elevation of the inven-' tion, the inclosing casings therefor being in vertical section. F1g. 2 is a side or edge elevation thereof, the inclosing casings also being in vertical :section. Fig. 3 is .a de- *tached front view showing :more especialily the setting or controlling means for the winding mechanism.

:In carrying out this invention I provide suitable inc'lo-sures or casings land 2 with in which is mounted theoperating mechanlsm, said casings being secured in place for convenient operation and relatively to each other preferably as shown in the drawings.

A clock-like system of gearing 3 is arranged in-the .casing'ior housing 1 and includes a shaft 16 driven by a spring 18*car- 'ried onsaid shaft. Loosely mounted on the shaft 16 is a spur gear wheel 12 which carries on its face a spring held pawl 14 in engagement with a ratchet wheel 15 fastened to the shaft 16 and rotatable therewith. Said spur gear wheellQmeshes with a pinion 10 which operates a spur gear wheel 8, said spur gear wheel 8 meshing with a pinion 6 operating a spur gear wheel 4, said spur gear wheel 4 meshing with a pinion "5 operating a-spur gear wheel 7 which in :turn meshes *witha pinion 9 operating a governor 11.

The pinion 8 is provided with four lateral studs 17 arranged at intervals apart thereon of ninety degrees, which studs are adapted to engage the hammer-carrying arm 18, the hammer designated 19 engaging the gong 20 arranged inthe casing 1. This casing, with its contained mechanism, is arranged preferably,-:or as usual, upona wall, near the ceiling, or at-a transom for the advantageous transmission of the sound.

A winding lever 21 is applied to the spring-carrying shaft 16 so as to gprovidefor turning saidsha-ft for .putting thespring 13 under tension .by'actuating said lever; steps 22 and 23, secured to :the casing,'being so arranged as .to hunt the maximum movementof said leVGTlIl either directionas W111 be readily appreciated.

A disk "or wheel .24, whose shaft 25 -18 suitably hung in l the casing or inclosureQ,

has connection with (the winding lever21 by suitable flexible means 26ias a cable, .strapor line connected at its ends to the outer end of said lever and to the perimetric edge of said disk or wheel, respectively, :asvclearly disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, said wheel or disk being readilyactnated by .a handle or crank 27 fitted upon one end of the" shaft 25. Said handle or crank carries in its outer end .a ,pinr28 .slidable or "movable therein for registration and engagement with any one 11:10

numbered accordingly as disclosed.

It will be apparent that when the device requires winding .it is only necessary to suitably actuate the crank or handle 27 which will cause the drum, disk or'wheel 24 to wind the line- 26 accordingly pulling upon and moving the lever 21 which will have the efiect to suitably 'tension'or stress the gear-actuating spring or motor, the -winding being controlled by the stop 23 i- Which engages said lever when the limit of .windingrhas been reached, as is apparent. f The handle 27, when the operator is through withithe winding operation, is released and -remains with its pin 28 out of engagement -with anyother parts, or out of use, but

ready at hand when it maybecome necessary to again'perform the winding operation. It will be further noted that when it may be desired to use any desired number 25 of strokes or sounds less than the Whole number this may be accomplished by previously engaging the pin 28 with the desired aperture, as indicated by the figures or numbers 29 upon the casing 2, say by inserting 3 it at 11 which may have local significance 'in connection with the fraternity, and then subsequently withdrawing the pin when the handle will be released allowing the drum to revolve, and the lever, under the action of the spring, to be carried to its destination, and the required number of strokes or sounds to be produced by the hammer upon the hell. 7 V It has been found in actual use that the =40 operating mechanism of this device is practically noiseless which obviates the annoyanc'e attending'the use of devices of this character and accordingly suppresses the; tendency to unnecessarily engage or call the 45'attention of those near the device during 'the operation of the same, the sound emitted: by the bell or' gong being practically the only audible sound which is given out bythe device.f It is also emphasized that I *s'oiomit theus of a key such as usually em-j ployed in connection with contrivances of this type for stressing or tightening the "gear-driving spring, such stressing or ten-l sioning of the, spring being efiected herein;

"afijby the use, principally, of a lever and ad- Ljunctive parts, while the, winding operation, as well as the ringing action of the bell, is? readily controlled, and in ,a simple, direct and eflective manner. a a 7 Having thus-fully described the several parts of my invention what I claim as new and desire to. secure by Letters Patent of the ;United States, is l 1. In a device of the character,described the combination witha bell ergon of a cause said spring operated mechanism to operate and actuate said hammer to sound said bell or gong a predetermined number of times, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described the combination with a bell or gong, of a hammer and means for actuating the same to strike or sound said bell or gong,rsaid means including spring actuating mechanism and means for tensioning said spring, means for limitingtensioning of said spring to cause the same to operate said mechanism to actuate the said hammer for the purpose of sounding said bell or gong a predetermined number of times, said means for tensioning said spring including alever and a flexible connection between said lever and said spring operating mechanism, means for holding said lever at anyone of a num- T b er of points Within the limit of tensioning said spring, and means for releasing said lever to cause thesaid mechanism to operate said hammer to sound the bell or gong a predetermined number of times,

3. In a device of the character described the combination with abell or gong, a hammer and actuating means for operating said hammer to strike or sound the said hell or A gong, said actuating means comprising a spring, a lever associated with said spring for tensioning the same, means arranged in the path of movement'of said lever to limit the maximum movement thereof, a manually operated lever, a connection between said manually operated lever andsaid first mentioned lever for carrying said first mentioned lever to its maximum limit of move ios mentsand means for holdingsaid manually ,i

operated lever and said first mentioned lever at its maximum limitof movement or at any predetermined point within the limit of movement of the first mentioned lever and of the manually operated lever to cause said first mentioned lever towholly or partially tension said spring to "cause said spring operated mechanism to actuate said hammer a maximmn number of times or less thanthe maximumnumber of times,sub-

anism for actuating said hammer to causethe same to strike the said bell or gong, said isc said spring to operate said mechanism to actuate sald hammer a maximum number of times or less than a maximum number of times, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

DAVID CHAPMAN HORNER.

Witnesses ROY N. HOWARD, W. J. FARR.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

